1
as in excellence
exceptionally high quality
a shop selling native handicrafts of distinction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in advantage
a quality that gives something special worth
has the distinction of being the oldest house in the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in accolade
public acknowledgment or admiration for an achievement
I did all of the work, and the other guy got all the distinction
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in dominance
the fact or state of being above others in rank or importance
a number of physicians of national distinction serve on the staff of the teaching hospital
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in award
something given in recognition of achievement
won a number of distinctions in her long career as an actress
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in difference
the quality or state of being different
the distinction between the two photographic prints escapes me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in separation
the state of being kept distinct
the distinction between liberty and license is often violated in today's freewheeling society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of distinction
Previously, the 2008 Sayre Fire in Sylmar that destroyed 604 structures held that dubious distinction.
—
Denise Petski, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025
Queen Rania has a unique distinction among other royal women for merging occasion dressing with distinct designer labels.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 4 Feb. 2025
Dave Ellis achieved this prestigious distinction early in his career, marking a significant milestone in the bladesmithing community.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 2 Feb. 2025
Kelsea Ballerini, the Chainsmokers, Maren Morris, and Anderson .Paak
Chance the Rapper has the distinction of being the only Best New Artist winner of the past few decades to have won without ever having released a studio album.
—Marcus Jones, EW.com, 2 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for distinction 
Denise Petski, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025
Queen Rania has a unique distinction among other royal women for merging occasion dressing with distinct designer labels.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 4 Feb. 2025
Dave Ellis achieved this prestigious distinction early in his career, marking a significant milestone in the bladesmithing community.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 2 Feb. 2025
Kelsea Ballerini, the Chainsmokers, Maren Morris, and Anderson .Paak
Chance the Rapper has the distinction of being the only Best New Artist winner of the past few decades to have won without ever having released a studio album.
—Marcus Jones, EW.com, 2 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for distinction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distinction
Noun
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His leadership and innovative approach have earned him a reputation for excellence, both in the courtroom and beyond.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
-
In the Fort Worth-area, Diamond Hill-Jarvis boys soccer is in a league of its own and sets the gold standard for excellence.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Another avenue for lawsuits against non-generative AI use is legal protections for trade secrets; trade secrets, which provide a competitive business advantage, are not known or shared with the public and reflect efforts designed to keep information secret.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
18 Feb. 2025
-
As industries across manufacturing, energy, and logistics embrace this transformation, the stakes for competitive advantage have never been higher.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The seven-part stalker drama, created by and starring Richard Gadd, was a standout at this past year’s Emmys, with additional awards won in Outstanding Limited Series and Writing for a Limited Series, and also brought Gunning a Golden Globe, among other accolades.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
7 Feb. 2025
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Tucson was the first stateside city to become a UNESCO World City of Gastronomy, an accolade that nods to its more than four millennia of food culture that merges the tastes of many different groups, including Native American and modern Mexican.—
Mark Ellwood,
AFAR Media,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
However, despite its success, the play drew increasing criticism for its dominance.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
-
The first reason for the low-budget erotic thriller’s dominance had to do with Blockbuster Video’s supremacy as the United States’ biggest video store chain.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The award is a feature of the Stu Mann Program, heard nightly on radio station WLOL.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
-
The only other was John Elway, who won the award over first-team All-Pro Joe Montana in 1987.—
Joe Buscaglia,
The Athletic,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
There is a marked difference between the two beverages, particularly through a health lens, as alcohol is linked to liver disease, addiction, cancer and cognitive decline.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
-
The main difference between physical hunger and emotional eating is that emotional eating starts in the brain and includes sudden onset feelings of anxiety or sadness, specific cravings, not feeling satisfied even when full, and feelings of guilt after eating.—
Allison Futterman,
Discover Magazine,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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In the divorce filing, obtained by Fox News Digital, Alba cited irreconcilable differences and listed Dec. 27, 2024, as the date of separation.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
Fox News,
7 Feb. 2025
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Generally, employees who agree to deferred resignation are not eligible for unemployment benefits because it is considered a voluntary separation.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Education was considered an individual pursuit marked by moral excellency and only the students who did the best in school would have proceeded to higher education.—
Sara Novak,
Discover Magazine,
12 Nov. 2024
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Zurich said the Game Changer Award pays tribute to excellency in the film business with a focus on leaders that not only cherish change and forward-thinking approaches in the business, but also stand for the DNA of what cinema has represented since its invention.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near distinction
Cite this Entry
“Distinction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distinction. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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